Safety deck system

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid upper deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate means located adjacent to said cockpit opening and lying between said cockpit opening and the bow of said watercraft;
• and,
• slidable releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate means to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate means for said rigid upper deck, said releasable fastener means including a plurality of aperture means and a plurality of tab means having tongues slidably receivable in said aperture means,
• wherein a single force applied by said operator while seated within said cockpit opening to the edge of said deck plate means in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said deck plate means and in the direction of said bow causes said tab means to slidably disengage from said aperture means thereby separating said deck plate means from said rigid upper deck and from encircling the operator and substantially increasing the area of said cockpit opening so that the operator of said watercraft may safely exit from said watercraft in an emergency.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid upper deck and a cockpit, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate locatable forward of said cockpit in the direction of the bow of said watercraft;
• releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck;
• and,
• releasable holding means for preventing said releasable fastener means from accidentally releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck, said releasable holding menas including resilient clip means attached adjacent to the interface of the edge of said deck plate and said cockpit for preventing accidental release of said deck plate, said resilient clip means including a resilient clip attached to said deck plate and carrying a male protrusion means thereon and a female indentation means in the side of said cockpit for engagement with said male protrusion means,
• wherein application of a force by the operator in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said rigid deck plate causes said releasable fastener means to disengage and said rigid deck plate to slidably release form said rigid upper deck.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid upper deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate locatable forward of said cockpit opening in the direction of the bow of said watercraft;
• releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck;
• and,
• releasable holding means for preventing said releasable fastener means from accidentally releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck, said releasable holding means including a handle, expandable pin means attached to said handle, and aperture means in said deck plate and said rigid upper deck of siad watercraft for receiving said pin means,
• wherein the releasing of said releasable holding means allows the operator of said watercraft while sitting in said cockpit opening to remove said releasable deck plate by selectively applying a single force in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said rigid deck plate to cause said rigid deck plate to slidably release from said rigid deck and from encircling the operator thereby creating a substantially larger cockpit opening to permit the operator of said watercraft to escape from said watercraft in an emergency.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid upper deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate means located adjacent to said cockpit opening and between said cockpit opening and the bow of said watercraft;
• slidably releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate means to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate means from said rigid upper deck;
• and,
• releasable holding means for preventing said slidably releasable fastener means from accidentally releasing said deck plate means from said rigid upper deck,
• wherein the releasing of said releasable holding means permits the operator of said watercraft while sitting in said cockpit opening to remove said deck plate means and from encircling the operator by selectively applying a single force to said deck plate means in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said deck plate means and in the direction of said bow thereby substantially increasing the area of said cockpit opening to permit said operator to safely exit from said watercraft in an emergency.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid upper deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate locatable forward of said cockpit opening in the direction of the bow of said watercraft;
• releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck;
• and,
• releasable holding means for preventing said releasable fastener means from accidentally releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck, said releasable holding means including resilient clip means attached adjacent to the interface of the edge of said deck plate and said cockpit opening for preventing accidental release of said deck plate,
• wherein application of a single force by said operator while sitting in said cockpit opening in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said rigid deck plate causes said releasable fastener means to disengage and said rigid deck plate to slidably release from said rigid upper deck and from encircling the operator thereby creating a substantially larger cockpit opening to permit said operator of said watercraft to escape from aid watercraft in an emergency.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate means located adjacent to said cockpit opening and between said cockpit opening and the bow of said watercraft;
• slidably releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate means to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate means from said rigid upper deck;
• and,
• releasable holding means for preventing said slidably releasable fastener means from accidentally releasing said deck plate means from said rigid upper deck, said releasable holding means comprising a resilient clip means attached adjacent to the interface of the edge of said deck plate means and said cockpit opening for preventing accidental release of said deck plate means, said resilient clip means including a resilient clip attached to said deck plate and carrying a male protrusion means thereon and a female indentation means in the side of said cockpit opening for engagement with said male protrusion,
• wherein the releasing of said releasable holding means permits the operator of said watercraft while sitting in said cockpit opening to remove said deck plate means by selectively applying a force to said deck plate means in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said deck plate means and in the direction of said bow thereby substantially increasing the area of said cockpit opening to permit said operator to safely exit from said watercraft.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, an upper deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a deck plate located adjacent to said cockpit opening and lying between said cockpit opening and said bow of said watercraft;
• and,
• slidably releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate to said upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate from said upper deck,
• wherein the application of a single force applied by said operator while seated in said cockpit opening to said deck plate in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said deck plate causes said deck plate to slidably release from said upper deck and from encircling the operator thereby creating a substantially larger cockpit opening to permit said operator of said watercraft to escape from said watercraft.

A releasable deck plate apparatus for use with a watercraft having a bow, a substantially rigid upper deck and a cockpit opening in which the operator of said watercraft sits while operating said watercraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a substantially rigid deck plate located adjacent to said cockpit opening and lying between said cockpit opening and said bow of said watercraft;
• and,
• slidably releasable fastener means for attaching said deck plate to said rigid upper deck and for slidably releasing said deck plate from said rigid upper deck,
• wherein the application of a single force selectively applied by said operator while seated within said cockpit opening to said rigid deck plate in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said rigid deck plate and in the direction of said bow causes said rigid deck plate to slidably release from said rigid upper deck and from encircling the operator thereby creating a substantially larger cockpit opening to permit the operator of said watercraft to escape from said watercraft in an emergency.